Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center’s parking lot was nearly full during a three-hour Political Hob Nob on July 17 when voters met the candidates. 

All six candidates running for Punta Gorda City Council were in attendance. 

The three challengers oppose 2023 changes to the city’s land development regulations, or LDRs, which they say will create tall buildings and high density in the city.  

The incumbents disagree, saying the LDRs will limit building heights and help the city maintain its small-town charm. 

The changes spawned a grassroots movement that prompted several residents to run for office, including last year when Dr. Debi Lux unseated incumbent Mark Kuharski in District 3.   

District 1 

Donna Peterman 

Peterman, the incumbent, made Punta Gorda her home in 2016 after retiring from PNC Financial Services Group as executive vice president and chief communications officer. 

She said her goals are to continue diversifying the tax base with a focus on filling the blank spaces downtown where buildings were destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004. 

She is a defendant of the new LDRs, which, she says, “have established realistic standards for appropriate development growth.” 

Her priorities include addressing the city’s downtown flooding problem, preserving historic structures, especially City Hall, and making sure “the city continues on track with its five-year financial plan, which has put the city in its best position in years with 16.7% in reserves.” 

Jeannine Polk 

Polk, who was Lux’s campaign manager last year, is a 30-year business owner and developer with her husband Mike Polk. 

She said her vision and goal for the business community is to encourage realistic zoning. Instead of “favoring uncharacteristically high-density mixed-use developments, zoning should support multistory, pedestrian-oriented districts with a mix of small and large commercial spaces that preserve and are compatible with the city’s historic buildings.” 

She said if elected she would repurpose existing buildings to help local entrepreneurs turn vacant historic buildings into new businesses, which would save on construction costs, choose local businesses in city purchasing, and mitigate flooding in the downtown business district. 

Polk has criticized City Council for choosing an out-of-town contractor for the City Hall addition and the Freeman House. 

District 2 

Bill Dryburgh 

Dryburgh, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, is vice mayor this term. He was a former firefighter and served as fire chief in Punta Gorda. Afterward he became a Realtor and served as president of the local Realtors association. 

He said his goal is to keep taxes as low as possible and to bring new businesses to Punta Gorda. 

Residents pay 89% of taxes, “and that’s way too high,” he said. 

Dryburgh contends that downtown business owners want something built in the city center that will include either rentals or condos, “so that people can come out of their homes each night or during lunch and patronize their businesses.” 

Pointing out that business owners and their employees are hurting this time of year when tourism is low, he said, “It’s time that we started to correct that.” 

Greg Julian 

Julian, a veteran who retired as a colonel and served as public affairs chief for the U.S. Southern Command, said he is studying the city’s new comprehensive plan and long-range financial plan and meeting with city officials to gain a thorough understanding of the city and its challenges. 

His goals are to improve the city’s water service infrastructure, meet the needs of first responders, attract more commercial development to strengthen the city’s tax base, form a small business advisory board and bolster youth programs to attract younger families to the community. 

He vows to continue engaging with residents and business owners to learn their concerns and ideas about the future of the city in order to represent their interests when making City Council decisions. 

Julian said he’ll hold Town Hall meetings for transparency and open dialogue. 

District 4 

Lynne Matthews 

Matthews has served on City Council since 2016 and is mayor this term. 

A 27-year resident, she serves on numerous boards and committees. She said she is most proud of the city’s Comprehensive Plan 2045, which received two 2024 awards from the Florida Planning and Zoning Association and from the American Planning Association.  

Matthews says the LDRs were developed to eliminate the need for exceptions. The previous code would have allowed developers to build as high as they wanted with a special exception for height. 

Matthews favors a mixed-use project for the redevelopment of the City Marketplace acreage that has been an empty field for 20 years. She wants the future project to provide a live-work-play environment “for connectivity in our downtown” and to support the more than 1,100 businesses in the local community. 

“Development is going to happen, whether people like it or not. However, we must also try and make sure the small-town character of our city is maintained,” she said. 

Janis Denton 

Denton has owned and operated several small businesses in yacht sales, charters and the tourism industry. 

She said she cares about small business and wants to encourage new businesses and existing businesses in the community. 

“I would like to streamline codes and regulations to facilitate small businesses whether it’s signage or the height of your grass. We want businesses to feel welcome here,” she said. 

Property that has been rezoned from commercial to residential, “is not helpful for business,” she said. 

She said residential property costs the taxpayer in services, but business provides more tax base and requires less services. 

“I would also like to encourage large businesses to employ more of our residents, and a tax incentive could help them to locate here. The tax incentive up front can help bring in more taxes long-term and establish well-paying jobs,” she said.